PML-N's Miftah Ismail challenges NA-249 by-election results

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail has challenged the election results of NA-249 Karachi by-polls and demanded a forensic audit of polling stations, ARY News reported on Friday.

Miftah Ismail has sent three written request to the Returning Officer (RO) of NA-249 by-elections. The PML-N candidate demanded vote recounting of the by-polls, as well as sought forensic audit of 15 polling stations

Ismail sought seeking details of the voting process from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and asked the commission to scrutinise the thumb expressions of voters.

Earlier in the day, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz hinted to challenge the by-elections results of the NA-249 constituency in Karachi where the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate won the polls.

Read: PTI rejects NA-249 by-election results

She slammed the political opponents in a Twitter message, saying that the tactics to defeat her political party will be exposed soon. The PML-N VP threatened that the lion could not be hunted down so easily, adding that they should remember it and wait for the response. She said that PML-N will take back the right of the citizens.

Maryam said that the political party will accept defeat if it is the decision of the citizens. Maryam Nawaz added that PML-N will fight against every decision taken by stealing ballot boxes and vote-rigging. ‘Make no mistake about it.’

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had won the by-poll in the National Assembly constituency in Karachi NA-249 with a close margin of 683 votes on Thursday.

Read: ECP rejects allegations of slow vote count in NA-249 by-polls

According to unofficial results of all 276 polling stations released by the District Returning Officer (DRO), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Qadir Khan Mandokhail had secured 16,156 votes to win the NA-249 Karachi West-II by-election, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Miftah Ismail got 15,473 votes to remain second.

Nazir Ahmed bagged 11,126 votes and came third. Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal received 9,227 votes. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Amjad Afridi secured the fifth position by obtaining 8,922 votes.

The National Assembly seat had fallen vacant due to the resignation of PTI MNA Faisal Vawda from the District West-II constituency.